Give Me A Texas Ranger

by Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday, Phyliss Miranda

  “Now, tell me—”

  Texanna burst through the door, interrupting Stoney’s interrogation. Her chest heaved as though she’d run full-out. “Heard the commotion and that Martin Truebill over at the mercantile was accusing Josh of taking some things. I have to protect him.”

  “I was just about to get down to the truth of the matter.” Stoney guided her onto an overturned crate. “Get your breath.”

  Texanna sat down but hopped right up again. “They’ve accused him before for no good reason. They’re trying to make him pay for what I’m doing. Marcus has to be behind this.”

  “Maybe, maybe not.”

  “Are you saying Marcus has suddenly become a saint?” Her back stiffened as hurt swam in her stormy gaze. “Or that my son’s a thief?”

  “Don’t get your tail feathers in a wad. I’m saying we don’t know the facts yet.” He calmly turned to Josh. “All right, son, why were those people chasing you?”

  Josh shrugged his thin shoulders. “I dunno.”

  “You know when you do something you’re not supposed to, you need to come clean?”

  The boy’s bottom lip quivered. He nodded his head solemnly.

  “Did you do anything wrong?”

  “I—I don’t think so.”

  “Were you in the mercantile?”

  “J—just to get my marble that rolled in there.”

  Texanna tapped her foot. “See? He’s innocent.”

  Stoney let out an exasperated huff. He shot her a black stare then he swung back to Josh. “Did you see a list of names and papers on the counter?”

  Tears swam in Josh’s big eyes. “No.”

  “What about that woman’s letter? Did you snatch it out of her hand?”

  “What letter?”

  “She claims you grabbed a letter from her and ran.”

  Texanna put her arms around Josh and clutched him tightly to her breast. She didn’t help matters any by coddling the boy. Stoney had a job to do here. Couldn’t she see that he’d do everything he could to spare her and Josh?

  Yet her mutinous glare told him she didn’t apologize for bushwacking his questioning. “There’s one way to prove he didn’t do those things. Do you see them on him or inside that coffin?”

  She had a point. If the kid had taken them, they should be where he’d hidden. While Stoney searched the coffin, Texanna felt in Josh’s pockets and pulled out a rusted metal button, a white rock, and his green shooter marble.

  Sheriff Ezra strode into the undertaker’s shed. “I’ll have to take the boy in, Mrs. Wilder.”

  Texanna gasped and held Josh tighter.

  Stoney stepped in front of them and raised his hands. “Hold on. You’re not taking him anywhere. I’ve questioned Josh and there’s no sign of the list or the letter anywhere here. He didn’t do it.”

  “Plenty of folks out there claim he did.”

  A muscle tightened in Stoney’s jaw. “They’re wrong.”

  “You’ll vouch for that?”

  His sharp nod left no room for doubt. “I will.”

  “A mess of people aren’t gonna be too happy. They’re out for blood.” The breath of air that blew from the sheriff’s mouth ruffled the white mustache. “I’ll leave the boy in your care then since you’re god-awful certain.”

  “I’ll stake my life on it.”

  Sheriff Ezra started for the door and turned back. “I’ll expect you at the jail to take care of our business.”

  A short while later, Stoney strolled into the stone jail.

  The sheriff stood in front of a potbelly stove. He swung around to see who entered and motioned to the battered pot that had seen better days. “Want a cup of coffee?”

  “That’d be mighty good.”

  Two of the cells were empty. In the third, Newt Colfax lounged against the metal bars. The outlaw’s lip curled in a sneer. “You think you’re tough enough to get me to Menardville, Ranger?”

  Stoney took the cup Ezra handed him and strolled to the cell. “Oh, I’ll get you there all right. I can’t guarantee it’ll be in one piece. Guess that’ll depend on you. I’d go quiet-like if it were me. Save yourself a lot of grief.”

  “Well, you’re not me, are you?” Colfax shot him a black stare and dropped onto his cot.

  The seat behind the desk creaked when Ezra folded his tall frame into it. Stoney took a chair on the opposite side.

  “I’ll see your authority papers and the Ranger warrant for Colfax now,” said the sheriff.

  Stoney slid his coffee onto the desk and reached into the inside pocket of his vest.

  It was empty. Not even a scrap of paper.

  He patted his shirt pocket. Nothing there either.

  “I don’t know what happened to them. They were here when I left Menardville. You know I’m a Ranger though.”

  “I don’t know any blooming thing.” The chair protested when the sheriff leaned back and propped his feet on his desk. “You say you are, but that’s only your word, just like it was your word that the Wilder kid didn’t filch those things.”

  A hot flush rose. “And my word’s not good enough?”

  “Not this time. God and everybody could waltz in here and claim to be a Ranger. You could’ve stolen that badge. For all I know, you might be in cahoots with Colfax.”

  Stoney’s jaw clenched. “I’m not.”

  “Until you produce those papers, Colfax ain’t going anywhere.”

  Chapter 4

  Something rotten was afoot. What were the odds for so many things to suddenly come up missing? Josh swept through his mind, but he quickly dismissed the boy. The boy was only six years old, for Pete’s sake. Not only that, the boy hadn’t had access to the documents, he didn’t think. No, someone else had taken his official Ranger papers.

  Let him catch the thief and it’d be hell to pay.

  Meanwhile he had no choice but to wire Texas Ranger Company D in Menardville for replacements. His commander wasn’t going to be happy. Leaving the jail, he made tracks for the telegraph office. They’d send new ones, but it’d take days for them to arrive. And no doubt he’d have to endure a good bit of ribbing over losing them.

  Within several minutes, Stoney had that taken care of. Stepping out of the telegraph office, he looked across the street. The barber pole turned in the breeze.

  Texanna had opened up.

  He reckoned there was no time like the present.

  Crossing the street, he told himself that a shave and haircut were the only things on his mind.

  But he couldn’t quite ignore his breath, which came just a little bit quicker the closer he drew to the shop.

  Intent on lathering up a customer, she spared him a quick glance when the bell above the door jingled. “Have a seat. I’ll be right with you, Ranger Burke.”

  Stoney took the chair closest to the door so he could catch what little breeze came through and also keep an eye out for trouble should it come calling. He untied the bandana from around his neck and wiped sweat off his brow. The July day had heated up and promised to be a scorcher.

  His attention turned to Texanna.

  Despite her shortcomings, there was no woman more desirable than Texanna Wilder.

  It seemed odd for a woman to be involved up to her pretty little neck in a man’s occupation. Stoney could tell the way her customer squirmed that her close proximity affected him. But when it was the only barbershop in town, men had little choice but to endure a woman’s bosom inches from their faces. Not that many would complain, mind you. Their wives, surely, but never the men. It occurred to him that possibly that accounted for the reason no one had come to her aid this morning.

  He admired the way Texanna had stepped right into Sam Wilder’s shoes and taken the reins of two businesses into her hands.

  That she appeared extremely capable came as no surprise. She’d always been a lady who grabbed the bull by the horns instead of standing around wringing her hands. He liked that about her, along with numerous other things.


  In fact, their only disagreement had been over Sam.

  As if sensing his thoughts, she glanced up and sent him a hesitant smile.

  Though her high-necked dress kept everything prim and proper, she couldn’t disguise her soft curves. In the worn calico with its row of lace and frayed hem, she was all woman.

  And one he’d carried feelings for since he’d met her all those years ago.

  But Sam had been the lucky fellow who’d caught her eye.

  It was always Sam.

  Stoney watched her expertly sharpen the razor on a long leather strap and begin scraping away the man’s stubble. He wondered what might’ve been, how different his life would’ve turned out if he’d told her how he felt about her years before. He’d once stolen a kiss before Sam wooed her away from him.

  Seven years wasn’t long enough to erase the sweet softness of Texanna’s lips. Stoney closed his eyes for a moment to fully capture the remembrance of the taste of her.

  But she wanted a husband who’d be home every night for supper. Stoney rarely spent more than two straight days in one place. He liked the freedom to go where his job took him.

  Still, thoughts of having a wife and a couple of children to carry on the Burke name had been coming pretty regular of late, sometimes the depth of the fervent wishing catching him by surprise. He wouldn’t deny that a family held certain benefits, especially for a loner like him. He kinda liked the idea of someone somewhere waiting for him to come home.

  Again, her words came back to him. “Dreams change for all of us.”

  Maybe they did, for a fact. He wouldn’t admit that to her though.

  Using long, smooth strokes, it didn’t take Texanna long to finish shaving her customer and then Stoney settled into the chair.

  Her arm brushed his cheek when she put the threadbare barbering cape around his neck. Her nearness created warmth that he couldn’t exactly blame on the July sun. The fragrant scent of shaving soap and bay rum mingled in the stifling air.

  “Glad you came in. Your hair can use a trim,” she said.

  “Can’t recall the last time I was barbered.” He gave her a wisp of a grin. “In my line of work such pleasures are few and far between.”

  She ran her fingers through the long locks. A flash of heat raced through his blood. Texanna’s touch was soft and sensual, and made him think languid thoughts of long nights and feather beds. Of sated urges and the tangle of sheets underneath.

  Ahhhhh, he’d been without a woman too long.

  But this wasn’t exactly what Sam had in mind when he had asked Stoney to take care of Texanna. He wrestled his thoughts back to the barbershop, frowning as the snip of scissors lopped off a handful of hair.

  Texanna stilled. “What’s wrong, Stoney? You did want it cut, didn’t you?”

  He glanced at himself in the mirror. “Yep. Why?”

  “You frowned and looked ready to bolt from the chair.”

  “I was thinking about something, that’s all.” Searching for a safe subject far from beds and kissing, he told her about the missing papers.

  “That’s peculiar.” Her silky voice put him in mind of a hot, sultry summer day. “When did you last see them?”

  “When I left Menardville. I remember folding them up and putting them in my vest pocket. They never left my person.”

  “Could they have fallen out?”

  “Don’t see how.”

  Texanna held the scissors in midair. Her face was stricken. “You’re not accusing Josh? Are you?”

  The air suddenly chilled by a good thirty degrees. Her claws had come out. She seemed extraordinarily defensive.

  Stoney mentally waved a white flag. “Have no reason to accuse your son. Merely saying it beats me what happened to them, is all.”

  Apparently mollified, she resumed trimming his hair, her long slender fingers handling the comb and scissors with practiced ease. He’d noticed her hands that morning. They were calloused and rough and her nails jagged. Probably from making caskets, sawing boards, and hammering and the like.

  “Maybe your papers fell out when you were in my home. I’ll look after I finish here.”

  “Appreciate it.” He hoped he was making something out of nothing and they’d turn up. A companionable silence, broken only by the snip of the scissors, filled the shop. It was as good a time as any to broach moving away. “Have you ever thought of packing up and leaving Devils Creek? Letting LaRoach have the businesses and be shed of him?”

  She came around the chair to stare, as though he’d announced he was studying for the priesthood or contemplating robbing a bank. Worry darkened her gaze to a shade of deep sapphire.

  “Where on earth would I go? How would I make a living? I wouldn’t stand a chance in competition with male barbers and undertakers already established in other towns.”

  “I can take you to Menardville. Surely there are other things you can do. Seamstresses are always in demand. And if you don’t want to do that, open up a laundry. The Rangers will keep you in business. Menardville’s a bustling community.”

  The flash of fire that’d been in her eyes at the seamstress remark faded a bit. “This is my home, Josh’s home. It’s where I grew up. It’s where I buried my husband, laid him to rest in the little church cemetery. I’ll fight LaRoach and anyone else for the right to live here as I see fit.”

  “And what if that fight ends up killing you?” he asked tightly. “What’ll happen to Josh? You have to think of him.”

  “I do. Every second of the day. He needs roots, and those roots, are here. Marcus talks big, but I can handle him.”

  Yeah, it looked like she was doing a mighty fine job, trussed up and dragged through the street. Women could be stubborn as a corral full of donkeys. Would it take LaRoach seriously harming her before she saw reason?

  Lord help the fool man if it came to that, because he’d just as soon give LaRoach a case of lead poisoning as not.

  Texanna finished the haircut and picked up the duster to brush the hair from his shoulders and neck. “What is this about? I won’t have you feeling obligated for my safety. And just because you and Sam were best friends won’t wash.”

  Stoney reached and pulled her around to face him. He gently took her palms in his. “Look at your hands.”

  Sparks of fire sprang up again. “What of them?”

  “They’re in pitiful shape, all cut up and rough. This life isn’t for a lady. You work way too hard. I care about you and Josh. You deserve an easier life.”

  She jerked her hands loose. “I got along before you came and I’ll get along after you leave.”

  Wrapping his face with hot towels brought an end to the discussion. While moisture softened his bristles, he could hear her adding water to the hard cake of shaving soap and whipping it into a fine lather with the brush.

  After a few minutes, she removed the towels and lathered up his face. Her breasts were at eye level and inches from touching his cheek.

  Heat rose from his belly.

  There should be a law against stubborn women barbers!

  Chapter 5

  Texanna tried to calm her heartbeat as she cautiously laid the sharp edge of the razor against Stoney’s finely chiseled jaw.

  There was a connection, something linking her to this steely eyed Ranger, that stood apart from Sam. Stoney suddenly rode back into her life on a day when she was at her lowest. He disturbed her thoughts, the very core of her being. He’d awakened all those old feelings she’d kept buried for so long and made her think of rainy music on a tin roof. Of the breathtaking beauty of a rainbow after a violent storm.

  And hot passion.

  Heaven help her! Yes, Stoney definitely made her think of passion.

  She couldn’t let him know how deeply he affected her, for the feelings he carried turned more toward the murdering side than the romantic. She prayed he might forgive her in time. But it didn’t appear his feelings would alter soon.

  Keep the strokes long and smooth, she told herself
, and quit thinking about music and passion. She’d never forgive herself if she marred his handsome profile.

  Her breath seemed caught somewhere in her chest.

  Stoney had a rugged strength that Sam had lacked. Not that Sam was soft. Her husband just hadn’t had the fierce determination it took to survive in the rough Texas town. He’d believed that no one would harm you if a fellow lived his life and minded his own business.

  That philosophy cost him—cost them all—dearly.

  The bell suddenly tinkled over the door. Loretta Farris, the stout boardinghouse owner, limped inside. “I see you’re busy. I’ll be quick. Come by my place after you leave here and pick up a loaf of fresh bread. I just took it out of the oven. Josh loves it, the little darling.”

  “I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve a friend like you, Loretta. I’ll be sure to stop by and get it.”

  When the woman left, Texanna turned to Stoney. “I’ll have supper at five. Josh and I will expect you.” She swished the razor in a bowl of water to rinse off the thick shaving soap.

  “I can eat in the hotel dining room.” His deep voice vibrated the still air and the little pocket of hope she desperately clung to. “Or the little café I noticed, Mattie’s Cook Shack. Hate to put you to any trouble.”

  “I insist. Josh will be heartbroken if you don’t come.”

  And the night would be long and dismal for her as well.

  “In that case, I reckon I’d better show up. I’d hate to disappoint Josh. He’s as fine a boy as I’ve seen. You’ve raised him well.”

  “Thank you. I’ll admit, it’s not been easy.”

  “Nothing worthwhile ever is. Josh is all boy.”

  “He needs a man’s attention though. He looks up to you, Stoney. You’re a good influence on him. I’ve tried to keep from coddling him. Don’t want him to be sissified.”

  “Glad you brought that up. I’ve been meaning to talk to you. You’re stifling the boy. Loosen the tether a little. For God’s sake, give him room to breathe.”

  “Are you criticizing me?” she asked in clipped tones.

  “I’m just saying you need to relax a bit and let Josh be a boy. Quit being so damned overprotective. He’s gonna make mistakes, but that’s okay. Life’s about learning.”